South Sudan, Sudan to jointly lobby creditors for debt relief
September 29, 2014 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese government has announced it plans to commence joint visits with the government of neighbouring Sudan – from which it seceded in 2011 – to lobby for foreign support to waive the countries’ external debt.
“In the spirit of cooperation, my minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation will soon commence more joint visits with his Sudanese counterpart to donor countries, to appeal and lobby for [the] lifting and waiving Sudan’s foreign debt, as it was agreed in the cooperation agreements,” Kiir said in his speech, a copy of which was extended to Sudan Tribune by his office.
POST-SECESSION ISSUES
The presidents told the assembly that he was in direct communication with his Sudanese counterpart, Omer Hassan al-Bashir, over a range of post-secession issues and that they are continuing to explore better ways to resolve the countries’ outstanding differences through dialogue.
One of the most pressing issues left unresolved by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended the north-south civil war, remains the final status of the contested Abyei area, with Kiir saying the two countries are continuing negotiations facilitated by mediators from the African Union High-level Implementation Panel and our other partners aimed at finding an amicable solution.
“The conflicts within our two countries of South Sudan and Sudan tend to be interconnected. That is why we in the Republic of South Sudan will exert more efforts to strengthen our relations with the Republic of the Sudan,” Kiir said, acknowledging that South Sudan depends on Sudanese pipelines to transport its oil flows to foreign markets.
He also expressed his appreciation to the countries which have extended their support to South Sudan and exerted efforts to reaching a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
“I reiterate my resolve to continue my firm commitment to return the people of South Sudan to peace, to [the] full implementation of the cooperation agreements with the Republic of the Sudan, to unrestricted support to humanitarian assistance, to respect for human rights, to democratic governance in my country, and to [a] stronger working relationship with UNMISS (Un Mission in South Sudan) and the entire international community,” he said.
“Without exception, I promise that we will work together, united to establish a safe, secure, peaceful and prosperous South Sudan,” he added.
LACKING CONVICTION
Meanwhile, opposition figures from the country’s rebel faction allied to former vice-president Riek Machar said the speech was full of contradictions and presented an outdated version of the December 2013 outbreak of violence.
Ayiii Ayii Akol, the deputy head of the opposition’s humanitarian affairs committee, labelled Kiir a “complete embarrassment”, saying his words lacked conviction and credibility.
“From his face, leave alone what is in the speech, you find the body languages are incoherent with the voice. Physically looking, he was depressed and shied to stand before the general assembly of the United Nations,” he said
“He did not have the courage to look straight in the eyes of his audience. He did not have time to elucidate more on some of his statements. He was a complete embarrassment to the country … Our people need someone who is intellectually capable to address and engage the world on global matters,” he added.
The former MP told Sudan Tribune on Sunday that he was not surprised the president was still sticking to what he described as “concocted coup narratives”.
“The president and his government have failed to provide a proof, yet they have continued to make such false claims before the world leaders. President [Yoweri] Museveni of Uganda himself reiterated before the general assembly what he told the heads of state and government of [the] Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) that what happened in South Sudan was a not a coup, yet Salva Kiir continues to say something that the whole world has not been served with evidence,” said Akol.
“Apart from president Museveni, Salva Kiir himself, in the same speech, admitted that what happened was a power struggle. You see that he was contradicting himself. How do you reconcile these statements?” he added.
Akol said the rebel faction remained committed to reaching a peaceful settlement to the conflict and urged the international community to stand with the people of South Sudan.
“We are committed to bringing this senseless war imposed on our country and the people by Salva Kiir and his group to [a] speedy end. That is why we accept negotiation with the illegitimate government. We are now at the talks and that is why we are asking the international community to stand with our people,” he said.
“The international community needs to help our leadership to reform the country. Our ambition is to reform South Sudan into peaceful, democratic, united, prosperous and just country in which all citizens are equal before the law,” he added.
Akol said rebels would continue their struggle for “a country where rule of law governs rather than the rule of one man; the way Salva Kiir is running the country” and where all people have equal rights to select their leaders.
(ST)